It actually has to do with the type of boat you have, the amount of weight you put in and the size of the rider. My last boat was a ProStar 205 and even with a substantial amount of ballast, you had to ride pretty close. My new boat is a Centuion Enzo. It throws a wake so big we can surf between 10 and 20 feet away from the boat. The lighter the rider the further back they can surf and still receive enough power to keep going.